Concerned “Sesame Street” fans! Do not believe the hype. Cookie Monster still loves his cookies—no matter how much the Big Fruit Industry and The Vegetable Board of America complain about his compulsive sweet tooth.

“He is not the veggie monster,” Gary Knell told the Alibi in an interview earlier today. Knell is the president and CEO of Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind the award-wining children’s staple.

Still, in order to promote healthier nutrition for children, “Sesame Street” producers have limited the Cookie Monster's consumption. Gone are the glorious cookie showers—like Cristal in a Dr. Dre video—during the C-Monster’s signature song, "C is For Cookie.”

“We are doing a lot of work on what we call Healthy Habits for Life, which focuses on simple messages like ‘sometimes foods,’ " Knell said. "It's a tool to try to promote healthier eating. So a mom in Albuquerque can tell her kid, Look, even the Cookie Monster can't eat cookies all the time."

Now, the Cookie Monster can be seen on TV devouring plates full of kale and apples. To stay true to the his appeal, his profile on the website still lists his likes as, "Cookies, cookies, and more cookies."

“ ‘Saturday Night Live’ accused us of making him the pilates monster," Knell said.

His favorite muppet is Grover, he added. "He's kinda smart, and he drives everyone crazy. I model myself after him.”

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New Mexico Humanities Council

Award-winning documentary filmmaker and fine-art photographer Miguel Gandert shows his work highlighting his mestizaje heritage, and the fusion and tension of the relationship between Spanish Colonial and Native Cultures of the Americas. Runs through 12/29.